1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to products manufactured from plastic veneer hardboard and more particularly is directed towards a new and improved method of providing a relief surface to a panel having wood core laminated with a hard plastic outer surface and the product made thereby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many products utilize hardboards such as those sold under the trademark "Formica" and which includes a stratum of urea-and phenol-formaldhyde resins, bonded to a sheet of plywood, chipboard or the like. Such panels are strong and the hard plastic veneer is extremely durable and presents a smooth, hard surface. Such laminated boards are used for wall panels in some instances but more commonly are used in kitchen cabinets, vanities and the like where resistance to water spotting, ease of cleaning and othe characteristics are desirable.
While cabinets fabricated, either in whole or in part, by such laminated boards are very durable and functional they are limited with respect to the design configurations which may be produced using such boards. Generally, such boards are available only in flat, smooth stock which cannot be milled into attractive cabinet-work since the milling would destroy the hard plastic veneer. As a result, cabinets currently available which are fabricated from such laminated board have utilized doors, panels, etc., which are either completely flat and smooth or have a very light, shallow scoring formed therein in an attempt to provide some relief appearance to the product. Such scoring is generally very shallow and is less than the thickness of the plastic veneer, typically one-sixteenth inch thick, so as to maintain the integrity of the laminate.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for producing a genuine relief surface to such laminated boards while maintaining an outer exposed surface of the panel that is substantially fully covered by the hard plastic veneer. A further object of the invention is to provide cabinet doors, panels and the like fabricated from plastic veneer boards with a true relief outer surface.